Community on edge as police investigate 5 cat killings in 1 dayPALMETTO BAY, Fla. (WSVN) -- Police have documented five cat killings in one day at three different crime scenes, including one at a fellow police officer's home. Miami-Dade Police skipped from one scene to another Wednesday, beginning in the morning and continuing into the late afternoon, investigating the suspicious deaths of five cats. The South Florida neighborhood has seen 16 gruesome cat killings believed to be the work of a sick individual since the middle of May. Miami-Dade Police took away bags of evidence from the scenes to verify if these new cases were the work of a serial cat killer. At about 11 a.m., investigators set up a crime scene near the corner of Southwest 87th Avenue and 144th Street to investigates the discovery of three cat corpses. Police tape covered the area, which also cut off access to one of the roads. Concerned neighbors gathered and wondered whether the serial cat killer who has been terrorizing the South Florida neighborhood since the middle of May had struck again. About an hour later police found another dead cat nearby the first scene, at the home of a police officer, the location of which police kept confidential to protect the identity of the officer. He confirmed it was his cat. Then at around 4 p.m., police set up crime scene tape at Southwest 160th Street and 84th Avenue, where the fifth carcass of the day was discovered. Police said they could not verify whether these latest cases were indeed the work of the person responsible of at least 16 verified killings that appeared the purposeful work of a human. Earlier, as many as 29 feline deaths were deemed the work of a serial killer, including several killings in Lauderhill, but after extensive forensics work, many were ruled out as either accidental run-ins with vehicles or tragic encounters with other animals. In the case of the Lauderhill killings, police determined a pack of free-roaming dogs responsible. All the dogs have been rounded up by animal service workers. Police were seen leaving today's crime scenes with several brown paper bags of evidence, which they will take to their crime lab in order to verify if these crimes are the latest work of the person or persons still at large and responsible for the gruesome rampage against cats. The killings have all featured gruesome details like skinned legs, smashed heads and disemboweled bodies. Neighbors in the area have been on edge for weeks. Cecilia Rosello said she fears the killings could escalate to humans. "Statistics will tell you that people that behave this way will eventually hurt a human being," she said. "I mean is that what we need to wait to happen in order for the community to step up and the police department?" A lot of neighbors said they are keeping their lights on and keeping their eyes open for any suspicious activity these past few weeks. Some neighbors fear these latest victims were cats that they had gathered together to take care of. They were recently taken in to get spade and neutered. If you have any information that can help police make an arrest in these cases, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward valued up to $5,000. (Copyright 2009 by Sunbeam Television Corp. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
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